The Civil Service Strollers who are based at Christie Gillies Park on Marine Drive are on their way to Ayrshire this Saturday as they take on Irvine Meadow in the 2nd round of the Scottish Gas Scottish Cup (writes CHARLES LAING).
The Strollers have been in fine form this month, winning their last 4 games and moving up to 9th in the Scottish Lowland League after defeating Broxburn on Saturday.
They also beat Dalry Thisle also from Ayrshire to reach the 4th round of the South Scottish Challenge Cup – thanks in no small part to striker Mackie Scott, who bagged 5 goals in 3 games!
So it’s fingers crossed for a good result and one step closer to a final at Hampden Park versus Hibs or Hearts!
Craigroyston YFC 2013 year group are trying to raise funds to attend a big football tournament in Craig Tara.
It’s a big cost for parents who may struggle to go but don’t want to let their kid to miss out. We have 4 mile sponsored walk, race night, bake sale, raffles and loads of other things happening but one of the mum’s has also set up a crowdfunding page.
Six people have been arrested following incidents of violence and disorder in the St Andrew’s Square area after the Hibs v Motherwell match last night (Saturday 5 October).
An investigation is under way to identify further individuals involved.
UPDATE:
Four males, aged 16, 17, 18 and 22, have been charged in connection with incidents of violence and disorder in St Andrew Square, Edinburgh after Hibs v Motherwell yesterday.
Two others were released without charge.
The males have been released to appear in court at a later date.
16 Kiltwalk Heroes, from Scotland to as far as Munich, took on the Mighty Stride on September 15th, marching 21 miles around Edinburgh to raise an incredible £10,500 for this new Scottish-founded international development charity, that changes lives through football, starting in Kalingalinga, Zambia.
Much of these funds were immediately spent by Africa On The Ball (AOTB) putting on a much needed First Aid course for the community, which ran last Friday.
The money will also enable a third solar powered drinking water station to be built for the 3 local schools and orphanage that AOTB supports, which is vital as Zambia suffers its worst drought to date. The rest will provide more coaches & ten academic and skills Scholarships for young people at the Lusaka Youth Resource Centre.
AOTB transforms communities across Africa by embracing the power of football to build a foundation for life-long success. They collaboratively inspire, empower and support communities in Zambia and throughout Africa, using the passion for football as a catalyst to improve education, healthcare, inclusivity and enterprise, creating sustainable brighter futures.
The charity began in 2013 after a Stirling University student Andrew Jenkin met an orphaned Zambian, Kelvin Chasauka who went on to play pro football in Norway, realised what football gave to him, and decided to come back to his community in Lusaka and help change lives positively through the power of football.
Together they set up a community football club that is so much more than a pitch with grassroots outreach development projects in education, health, equality and enterprise.
The players become local leaders helping to develop their community by working and learning together as a team to transform their lives.
So Africa On the Ball was founded in Scotland alongside a community football club in Glasgow (Glasgow On The Ball, with 4 teams playing in Sunday Leagues and open to all, #glasgowontheball) to share their passion for the game as well as help raise funds and awareness for the works of Africa On The Ball.
Eight GOTB players walked the Kiltwalk.
The AOTB club in Kalingalinga has over 15 teams of boys & girls, men & women, over 300 members supporting 4 schools, funded 57 scholarships, built 2 solar panelled water kiosks & staged many tournaments where vital health education messages are delivered alongside a competitive show.
Dortmund’s Signal Iduna Park tops the list for best European football stadiums, and will host several key group stage matches in the 24/25 Champions League season
Tickets to a Borussia Dortmund match average just £30, with an impressive Google review score of 4.7/5 and a capacity of 81,365
In contrast, Germany’s BayArena in Leverkusen holds the lowest rating, scoring 4.32
With the Champions League kicking off next week, Europe is abuzz with excitement for the new football season. As 96 group stage matches are set to unfold across the continent, fans are eagerly anticipating thrilling games and unforgettable moments in iconic stadiums.
To enhance the fan experience, luggage storage network Stasher has rated the continent’s top football venues. Discover where to catch the best action and enjoy the ultimate football experience this season.
The top (and bottom) five stadiums and their scores
Top 5
Bottom 5
#
Stadium
Country
Score
#
Stadium
Country
Score
1
Signal Iduna Park
Dortmund, Germany
5.94
50
Bay Arena
Leverkusen, Germany
4.32
2
Santiago Bernabéu Stadium
Madrid, Spain
5.92
49
Ljudski Vrt
Maribor, Slovenia
4.33
3
Camp Nou
Barcelona, Spain
5.73
48
King Baudouin Stadium
Brussels, Belgium
4.35
4
Old Trafford
Manchester, England
5.52
47
Estadio El Madrigal
Villarreal, Spain
4.36
5
San Siro
Milan, Italy
5.44
46
Stadium of Light
Sunderland, England
4.36
Of the 50 stadiums analysed, Signal Iduna Park (5.94) – home of Borussia Dortmund and site of the Euro 2024 semi-final – ranks in first position as the best stadium in Europe.
Known for its famous yellow-wall and notoriously good atmosphere, this stadium ranks well in all categories, with a large capacity (81,365), reasonable average ticket price (35€ just under £30), and very good public accessibility, complemented by excellent Google reviews (4.7/5).
Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu Stadium ranks second. With a high capacity (81,044) and outstanding disabled access, it also offers a very low cost of a pint 2.5€ (around £2.10) and great Google reviews (4.6/5), making it a top choice. Barcelona’s Camp Nou ranks third, just losing out to its Spanish rival. The largest stadium in the list with a capacity of 99,354, Camp Nou also boasts great disabled access and good public transport connections.
Coming in fourth, but reigning supreme in the UK, is Manchester’s Old Trafford (5.52). Renowned for its exceptional disabled access and excellent transport links, this iconic stadium boasts a capacity of 74,140 and very positive Google reviews (4.6/5).
Completing the top five is Milan’s legendary San Siro, the shared home of rival clubs Inter Milan and AC Milan. For years, rumours of its demolition have circulated, threatening to erase a piece of football history.
German stadiums top and tail this list, with Leverkusen’s Bay Arena coming 50th on the list. Expensive beers, average disabled access and weaker Google reviews (4.4) give it the lowest score of any stadium on this list.
English stadiums rank well overall, with four of them featuring in the top 10. Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium secures a strong position at 6th, surpassing its fierce North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur and their new stadium since 2019, which closely follows at 7th. Meanwhile, the iconic Wembley Stadium claims the 8th spot in the rankings.
Boris Paichadze Dinamo Arena, in Tbilisi Georgia, is the ideal destination for budget-conscious sports enthusiasts. Not only does it offer the cheapest tickets on this list at €10 (around £8.40), but it also serves the most affordable beer, with an average pint costing €1.67 (just under £1.50). The stadium once recorded an attendance of 110,000 in 1979 when FC Dinamo played against Liverpool, but has since undergone extensive renovations, resulting in a significantly reduced seating capacity.
England has consistently the most expensive tickets – taking the 5 most expensive rankings in our table. Old Trafford’s average ticket price is a staggering €118 (around £100). The stadium with the highest cost of a pint is the Emirates Stadium in London, home to Arsenal FC (7,45€ or £6.30).
Germany offers the cheapest tickets of any west European country – with tickets typically costing €30 – €35 (£25 – £30).
To see the full data for each stadium please visit Stasher’s dedicated webpage here.
Edinburgh City Football Club (ECFC) of the Scottish Professional League (SPL) League 2, has partnered with Nuffield Health, the UK’s largest trading charity.
The partnership spotlights Nuffield Health’s comprehensive approach to health and wellbeing which spans physical and mental health — from personal training, health assessments, GP services, and physiotherapy to providing mental health support or hospital treatments for serious conditions.
The arrangement provides both health and wellbeing and traditional medical services to players and staff of ECFC and hopes to raise awareness for its network of services among Edinburgh community members and football fans.
In addition to working to promote the partnership through traditional and social media activations, Nuffield Health will be the ECFC First Team Jersey Sleeve sponsor and Headline sponsor of the ECFC Under 18 Academy Team for the 2024 / 2025 season.
“This is a momentous day for Edinburgh City Football Club as we work with one of the most recognized and respected names in healthcare in Scotland and the UK,” says John Dickson, Chairman of ECFC of the partnership.
“Giving our athletes access to Nuffield Health’s fitness and well-being will make the difference as we work toward a winning season in League 2.”
The Director of Wellbeing, Scotland of Nuffield Health, Naomi McMinn, believes “Edinburgh City FC is deeply entrenched in the local community and will serve to exemplify the value of a focus on wellbeing as it relates to health.
“We are confident that this partnership will help us positively impact the health outcomes for many more people in Edinburgh and Scotland.”
Edinburgh City Football Club is a semi-professional senior Scottish football club which plays in Scottish League Two, the fourth tier of the Scottish Professional Football League.
ECFC made SPFL history in 2016, by becoming the first team to progress to league football, via the pyramid system and becoming the first “third” senior football club in Edinburgh. ECFC currently plays its home games at Meadowbank Stadium.
Long-serving Spartans youth players have been presented with medals to mark 10 years of service to the club.
The group belong to the current Under-17s set-up, having first joined not long after starting primary school.
Les Atkinson is chairman of the youth section and said: “We want to make people feel welcome and create a safe place for them to play their football and enjoy themselves here. It’s the ethos of the club which we work on and testimony to that is the length of time people stay at the club.
“There is a real family feel to the club, a community spirit to it, and that helps keep players with us as they want to be part of something special.
“We are always pleased to develop players so they can move to bigger clubs but often they come back to us if things don’t work out for whatever reason.”
Spartans take on Aberdeen at Pittodrie in the quarter-final of the League Cup later this month and Les, who is also manager of the Under-20 Development Squad, added: “We have a visible pathway now which the youngsters can see. At least half a dozen of the first team players have come through the youth section to the U20 development squad and into the top team.
“Now we are in the SPFL, the players have a real target to aim for. The success of the first team filters down to the development team and then through the youth section and creates a real feel-good factor.
“But we have always been about more than just football and winning trophies. A key part of our success is doing a lot outwith the football, helping the local community.”
The youngsters were presented with the medals at half-time of a recent league match at Ainslie Park.
Photo shows back row (l-r): Les Atkinson (Spartans FC Youth Chairman), Stuart Gray (coach development officer), Daniel Weir, Cameron Findlay, Joe Barry, Josh Smith, Ola Benson, Michael Kiddie, Ford Mills, Tony Lewis (U17s coach), Paul Woods (U17s coach).Front row (l-r): Hugo Boyle, Charlie Cusiter, Preston Kennedy, Joe Woods, Ben Lewis, Finlay McNally, Chris Mill.
The Amazon Edinburgh team has collaborated with David Pollacchi, Managing Director of Lomax Sports to support Firrhill High School and the Kevin Thomson Academy with donations of over £3,000 worth of equipment.
The football coaching kits include embroidered sportswear, footballs and cones. The academy will use the equipment as part of a partnership with Firrhill High School, a secondary school based in south- west Edinburgh, which has received two sets of 11 aside school football kits as part of the donations.
The Kevin Thomson Academy (KTA) offers football coaching across the city through classes, private and team sessions. The Academy is run Kevin Thomson, a former Scottish professional footballer who played for clubs including Hibs, Middlesborough and Rangers.
David Pollacchi has a proven track record of making a tangible difference within communities in Edinburgh and has been formally recognised by Sportscotland, Scottish Football Association and the City of Edinburgh for driving sporting initiatives to improve the mental and physical wellbeing of children within the city.
To mark the donation, members of the Amazon team and the Kevin Thomson Academy visited staff and pupils from Firrhill High School to donate the items.
Ethan Smith from Amazon in Edinburgh said: “As an avid football fan, I’m so pleased Amazon has supported Firrhill High School and the Kevin Thomson Academy with these donations.
“It was a pleasure meeting pupils and members of the school and academy, and I hope this donation makes a lasting impact.”
Kevin Thomson added: “We want to express our thanks to Ethan and the team at Amazon in Edinburgh for this donation.
“Football is our passion and with donations like this, we can continue to support young people across the city in developing their skills and keeping fit. Huge thanks to David Pollacchi for managing and facilitating the whole process end to end over a number of months.
” We look forward to our training with Firrhill High School.”
Graham Hamilton, Headteacher at Firrhill High School, said: “Thank you to David Pollacchi and Kevin Thomson, generously supported by Amazon in Edinburgh, for this donation of equipment, which means so much to our pupils.
“It was great to meet David, Kevin and the team from Amazon and we look forward to the sessions run by the Kevin Thomson Academy and to many victories in these new strips.”
Community donations and employee volunteering are just two of the ways Amazon supports the communities where it operates.
Amazon co-founded The Big House Multibank in Fife with former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown to support to families in need. The Multibank network has now donated more than 4 million surplus goods to over 400,000 families across Scotland, Wales, Greater Manchester, and London.
Amazon has supported more than 700,000 students across the UK with free STEM education programmes through Amazon Future Engineer and helps community organisations transport meals and other essentials to families in need through its pro bono logistics programme, Amazon Local Good.
Amazon partners with Comic Relief and is the official home of the charity’s iconic Red Nose. Together with its employees, customers, and partners, Amazon has raised over £4.8 million to fund projects that support people across the UK, and around the world.
